Do you guys buy lake maps that you fish tournaments on? Is it worth it to buy the lake maps if you dont have a good gps for the water?

It's worth it to by a good paper map even if you have a good GPS. I have lake maps on my laptop, handheld GPS and when I get my Humminbird 979 I will have the best on it but I will still buy a paper map to study with.

I have everything mapping gps,Google earth, fishfinders and still need the paper map to get that over all prespective.

Garnet

A good paper map is a must.....I have bought to many hot spot maps and I'll tell you that is not a good paper map!!

Dale

What Dale said X 2.

I have Hot Spots Maps available for the lakes I fish.   I keep them in a tupperware box on the boat at all times.   You can fish a lake 100 times, have the best GPS mapping cards availabe and you can still learn something from a paper map.

I have to say.. Electronics are great... But what happens if the everything goes on the fritz while out fishing..

I can mark them up and store things that I may want too keep for memory.. Also, if I have locations that ALWAYS produce I have a copy that I can permanently mark for structure, etc... If it is a lake that I am on, I may also keep a copy that is plastic coated so I can Charcoal pencil things in when I am practicing...  Have a great time and good fishing...

Duane

I prefish every lake I  go to long before I hit the water with sites like topozone.com and google earth..this teaches me things like water depths and weed growth.

there is no substute for time on the water no matter who gives you a "sweet" spot. all fishermen are created different and fish differently so what works for one guy may not work for the next.

I have been fishing 40 years all over the world and it never surprizes me how many people want a fish on every cast.... that is called shopping fishing is hit or miss no matter how good you may become !!

hope this helps

Robby,

as a follow up it is not in your best inrerest as a non-boater to bring your own map or gps....the boaters on the trail really frown on that kind of thing.

Yeh that is one thing I was curious about. I dont wanna start things off on the wrong foot. Thanks for letting me know, glad your looking out!

If you don't have the money for the paper maps, and you don't already have a GPS there is another way.  Actually two.  

The first would be to buy the GPS I just listed in the 'Flee Market' section for a steal.   ;D

The second would be to download and print FREE  USGS topo maps from http://terraserver-usa.com/default.aspx.  The paper maps aren't as handy as having a GPS, but they work in a pinch.

I had a site for free marine maps not too long ago, but I lost it.  I'll see if I can't find it later this week.    

Even with 36 yrs experience on Toledo Bend I keep a map on the console of my boat; many times when I stop for lunch I'll have the map out. This is a topographic map of the lake before it was flooded; these maps are more detailed than any available lake maps. Most maps available today are made at 10' to 12' contours my maps are 3 to 5' contours, they also show old homesteads, farm ponds, logging roads, acreage used for digging top soil, clear cut acreage and many details not shown of today's maps.

Another advantage of being from the south is most lakes are manmade so these detailed maps are available where as most natural lakes found through the country don't have such detailed maps.

I have paper maps of every lake I fish.  If I'm fishing a new lake, I'll find a map of it.  Also have the Navionics chip in my GPS, which goes with me on every trip.  

Dale said ".....I have bought to many hot spot maps and I'll tell you that is not a good paper map!!"

Dale- What paper map brand do you recommend?

I go to a boat dealer and buy this type of chart.

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/

I fish allot of tidal waters and need the navigation type chart.

If you read your hot spot type map is says "not intended for navigation" . They are good for places to start looking for fish but they are lacking in detail.

Dale

United States Geological Survey (USGS) offers maps dating back to 1879; 1:24,000-scale also known as 7.5-minute quadrangles.

I keep a library of maps from every lake I have fished for the last 35 years. That is one thing I will not loan or sell.